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Somerville not bluffing about poker crackdown
Published: 2005-04-23
 Somerville not bluffing about poker crackdown
By Kevin Rothstein
Saturday, April 23, 2005
Is Texas Hold'em the new bingo?
That might be the case in Somerville, where the increasingly popular poker tournaments are taking the place of the once-ubiquitous church-hall gambling games.
The popularity of Texas Hold'em has grown so much in recent months that Somerville city officials scrambled to find new regulations over concerns that charity tournaments would become booze-fueled gambling brawls.
``We were concerned there were too many going on in drinking establishments in the neighborhoods that might lead to disruptions,'' said Mark Horan, spokesman for Somerville Mayor Joe Curtatone. ``We thought we should take a look at it.''
The city ultimately decided there was little it could do because charities can host up to three Texas Hold'em tournaments a year without falling under city regulations, Horan said.
To underscore how popular Texas Hold'em has become in place of bingo, St. Clement's Church in Medford, just over the Somerville line, has begun holding card tournaments in place of bingo games phased out a decade ago.
Some wonder if the poker games will hold appeal for the older crowd that once flocked to smoky bingo halls. ``I can't imagine replacing bingo with Texas Hold'em. It doesn't connect,'' said Madeline Marino, assistant director of the Medford Council on Aging.
Tax revenue from Texas Hold'em games collected by the Massachusetts State Lottery Commission has increased slightly, spokeswoman Beth A. Bresnahan said.
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Officer Linked to Gambling Arundel Poker Probe Leads to Howard Suspension
Published: 2005-04-22
 Officer Linked to Gambling
Arundel Poker Probe Leads to Howard Suspension
By Allison Klein
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, April 22, 2005; Page B09
During the day, Michael Anthony Thorn was a police officer in Howard County, where for 18 years he worked to uphold the law. At night, police say, Tykie Thorn was the manager and pit boss of an illegal Texas Hold 'Em poker casino run out of a warehouse in Anne Arundel County.
Thorn, 39, of Ellicott City and his father, Gary Thorn Sr., 63, of Glen Burnie were charged last week with running the casino, known as Tykie's Lodge, in Glen Burnie, according to Anne Arundel police.
Michael Thorn, who could not be reached for comment yesterday, was charged with eight counts of illegal gambling and related crimes. If convicted of all counts, he would face nine years in prison and a $4,100 fine.
Paid dealers ran the games, and gamblers bought chips imprinted with the word "Tykie" to play, according to charging documents. At the end of the night, players exchanged the chips for cash, records show. Pots were as big as $6,000.
Complete Restoration Services, an emergency contracting firm owned by Jesse Lee Turpin Jr., rented the warehouse to Michael Thorn, police said. Turpin also was charged with illegal gambling.
Thorn was suspended from the Howard County police indefinitely, said Police Chief G. Wayne Livesay. Livesay said his department got a tip about Thorn months ago and alerted Anne Arundel investigators.
"I am extremely upset by Thorn's actions," Livesay said. "He can expect no sympathy from me."
In February, Baltimore County police raided another poker operation that allegedly was run by Thorn, documents show. Detectives were told by a manager there that the games were run by a nonprofit group and that winnings were donated to charitable organizations.
Baltimore County investigators told the operators to stop playing the games or they would face criminal charges, documents show.
Staff writer Eric Rich contributed to this report.
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